Obj. ID: 40137
Jewish printed books  Megillat Purim Mitzraim, Cairo, circa 1950

This text was prepared by William Gross:

The text regarding this special Purim for Egypt is printed in both Judeo-Arabic and Arabic fonts.
"The Cairo Purim" dates to 1524. It tells the story of a period of significant oppression of the Jews in the then-Ottoman province of Egypt, by the local bey, until the governor's execution by order of the Ottoman Sultan for his rebellion. The author of this document is unknown, but the scroll is preserved in Egyptian Jewish tradition. Cairo Purim was celebrated as a holiday by Egyptian Jews until the last half-century, when most Egyptian Jews migrated to Israel, and conformed their practices to the standards of the Sephardim of Israel. Some Egyptian Jews and Jews of Egyptian descent still commemorate the event. The document was originally written in a form of Hebrew. Editor: Nissim Avraham Anani